A Moment of Silence for Del Martin

Can you imagine losing your partner of 55 years? I mean, I will have to be institutionalized if any of my loved ones pass. D will be as sad as I am - she is all up on Lesbian Lists.

From http://www.gomag.com:

Del Martin, who recently married her partner of 55 years this past June in California, has died at 87 years of age. Her and her partner, who was by her side at the time of her passing, Phyllis Lyon, were the first same sex couple to wed in San Francisco, CA. The two have devoted their entire time and life to the LGBT community. They, along with six other women, formed the first national organization for lesbians, the Daughters of Bilitis, in 1955. Del Martin was the first openly lesbian woman elected to the board of the National Organization of Women (NOW), and in 1971, she helped pass a resolution that lesbian issues were feminist issues. In 1975, Martin became the co-founder of the Coalition for Justice for Battered Women, and shortly thereafter, in 1976, her publication of Battered Wives played a major part for the movement against domestic violence. In 1995, Martin and Lyon were named delegates to the White House Conference on Aging: Martin by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, and Lyon by Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.“Del lived her life with great compassion, wit, tenacity, generosity, and valor,” said The Honorable Donna Hitchens, Founder of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.The pair were among the first inducted into the LGBT Hall of Fame. “We are greatly saddened by the passing of such an extraordinary and courageous woman," Kathryn Kolbert, president of People for the American Way, said in a statement. "Del Martin and her partner of 55 years, Phyllis Lyon, fought for decades to secure equal rights for all Americans regardless of sex or sexual orientation. In recognition of their legendary struggle, Del and Phyllis became the first same-sex couple to wed in California after the state supreme court mandated equal marriage rights for gay men and lesbians.A public memorial and tribute celebrating the life of Del Martin will be planned in the next few weeks.